Exercise and Supplements Can't Stop Cognitive Decline, Sadly

Can dementia be prevented? Will exercise or nutritional supplements improve cognitive decline? Prepare to be disappointed. This is Healthcare Triage News.

John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Mark Olsen -- Graphics

And the housekeeping:

[RBuckminsterFuller]

No surprises in these studies, but it would definitely be interesting to see a longer study over decades looking at similar factors.

[sashka]

you should make "prepare to be disappointed" healthcare triage's catch phrase.

[RaidenFreeman]

Please do an episode on ways to prevent cognitive decline. Prevention is always the best treatment, but I know nothing on the subject. :(

[Loathomar]

On the first study, did I not understand it or was it two groups, one given physical training and the other giving metal exercises? I feel like one group should have got nothing and the other something, cause if that is right, there could be the problem not that both give no results but that both give the same positive results,

[JaxsonGalaxy]

"Prepare to be disappointed." Also my personal slogan.

[jacobdrum]

In re: exercise: Look at the control group. You just recently posted a video that emphatically argued that low levels of exercise are all that's needed to obtain their health benefits. For an accurate comparison of health benefits, you would need mild exercise vs. no exercise, not substantial (for a person of that age) exercise vs. mild exercise.

[SergeiTheAnarch]

Is there any research about cognitive decline in mentally active elderly? Such as chess players, active musicians, or artists?

[Anjalena]

*sigh* Gee thanks. This isn't the first vid of yours that has focused on a problem and not given a solution to the "disappointing" side of the argument. Here, you start the thing with "Will exercise or supplements STOP cognitive decline?" Okay, no. So, the only outcome or help or whatever that you've given is for people who don't already have it. Fantastic! But that wasn't the subject of the vid! You should give some advice for those of us watching who already have cognitive decline. I have slow processing and aphasia and memory issues and who knows what else. It's almost unbearable at times living day to day and I used to be college educated. Some advice for those of us watching our lives like Charlie in Flowers for Algernon would be great here.
(However, for the record, I've been marathoning your vids and I just found you today! Amazing stuff! I'm just a bit frustrated and in despair over some things in my life that obviously aren't your fault.)

[pranakhan]

In all other areas of physiology, exercise works more as preventative medicine than it does post-decline development. With the exception of physical therapy, there are few other areas in which you can take sedentary individuals and drastically change the condition of thier lives in a short span of time, esp. the elderly.
Perhaps if there was a study of elderly who had exercised for most of their adult lives vs. sedentary individuals overall cognitive decline, we would get a better picture of the benefits or lack there of in regards to physical conditioning.

[lohphat]

Wechsler is pronounced "wex-ler". It's from German where "chs" = "ks"

[ALZulas]

Research on exercise and cognitive decline suggest that it may make a difference when you start. You may need to start exercising regularly before the age of 45. But that would be hard to create a strictly controlled study around. Not that I wouldn't love to see it.

[jacobdrum]

In re: Supplements: The study cited uses one kind of supplement with certain nutrients, not all. I'm not quarreling with the science you cite, I just have a problem when you state whatever the study you like's thesis as though it were fact. You provide a great amount of context and I don't mean to demean you, but within your own logic you could provide more.

[PepitoYT_]

I'm imagining overweight daily McDonalds drive thru eating smokers picking up some weights for 30 minutes a day along with 2g of fish oil for a few years in their 60's and expecting to fend off cognitive decline. Good luck with that!

I'd be more interested in a study comparing a group of long term physically active v sedentary people. 2 years is not a very long time to be living a healthy lifestyle. I don't imagine exercise is a panacea, but starting a regular daily regime and sticking with it, say, before midlife... Would we see different results?

[ljmastertroll]

I thought there was an study that showed learning a second language could improve cognitive decline.

[thibrichard]

Well, if the second study had been positive, we still would not know which supplement in particular was efficient

[peanut]

Mr Pharma says we can't talk about 5-10 pills for the elderly impatients. Can we?

[whatever]

Hi, would it be possible for you to do an episode on the microbiome at all? For instance Can I change it? Whats the best way to do so? How will this impact my risk for metabolic diseases?

[Ponas_Lukas]

Well I would like to point out that in US 19 people in 1000 aged 65< will get alzheimer's, but in India, by that same study methodology, alzheimer's will get only 3. It has to be some lifestyle choice and I would put my money on low animal product diet and large amount of turmeric they consume.

[lavonhersch]

Do a video on Plexus products. They are becoming a major health fad in my area and I am having trouble finding good research or opinions on the validity of it.

[kujmous]

This is a little saddening, but it's still good information.